Wrench



O. H. ADAMS WRENCH Filed Jan. 20, 1944 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Apr. 2, 1946 Oscar B. Adams, Keokuk, Iowa,assignor m John Bierman,v Keokuk, Iowa Application January 20, 1944, Serial No. 519,030

1 Claim.

The primary object of the invention is to provide awrench so constructed that round work, such as pipes and rods, nuts of varying contour, etc., may be easily and eifectively manipulated.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel spring means for urging the movable or pivotally mounted jaw toward the fixed jaw, and to also provide means for varying the tension of the springs.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a wrench comprising a minimum number of parts compactly arranged for quick engagement with and disengagement from the work whether round or having flat faces.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a wrench which is of a simple construction extremely eflicient in operation, and one which can be manufactured at a small cost.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on line 5--5 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, I designates a handle, the outer end of which has removably mounted thereon a jaw, 2, the outer end face thereof being formed with work gripping teeth 3.

The handle I has one edge thereof formed with teeth 4, the purpose of which will appear hereinafter.

A boxing 5 is provided and includes spaced side plates 6 connected at their upper and lower edges by top and bottom plates 1 and 1', respectively, and it is between these side plates that the handle I slides during adjustment of the wrench.

The side plates 6 of the boxing are each formed with openings 8 having threaded therein oppoa-3 of s'it'el'y opposed pivot bolts 9, the purpose of which will appear hereinafter.

Cooperating with the fixed jaw 3 is a pivoted toothed jaw In, the shank of which is formed with furcations ll adapted to receive between them the side plates 6 of the boxing 5, as clearly shown in Figure 5 of the drawing.

The furcations II have openings I2 formed therein and adapted to receive the pivot bolts 9 to enable the jaw ID to swing toward or away from the handle I and jaw 2. Supported by the sides 6 of the boxing 5 is a pin I3 whereon a dog I4 is fulcrumed intermediate its ends, the forward end of which has formed thereon teeth I5 adapted to engage the teeth 4 of the handle I to hold the boxing 5 and the jaw ID in adjusted positions. The dog I4 is of such length that a part thereof extends beyond the boxing 5 to constitute a finger piece IS.

A coil spring I6 is placed between the dog I4 and a cross plate I! extended between the side plates 6, said spring serving to urge the teeth of the dog normally into interlocking engagement with the teeth 4 on the handle I.

Each side plate 6 of the boxing 5 has an annular recess l8 therein and in each recess is a coil spring l9. Each of the springs I9 has one of its terminals 20 seated in notches 2| formed in the rear ends of the furcations I l of the movable jaw IO, and their other terminals engaged in selected perforations 22 formed in the side plates 6 of the boxing 5. These perforations 22 are arranged in circumferentially-spaced groups as clearly shown in Figure 3, and obviously upon changing the spring terminals from one group to another, and shifting them to selected perforations of each group, the tensions of the springs can be changed when desired. 1

When the wrench is used for manipulating nuts, as shown in Figure 1, the tension of the springs l9 may be less than when round work is being manipulated.

To adjust the wrench it is necessary only to press the finger piece l5 of the dog I4 toward the handle I, thus disengaging the teeth l5 and 4. Thereupon the boxing 5 may be slid on the handle I in order to place the jaws 2 and ID in approximately the proper relationship with respect to the work, according to the size and type thereof, after which the finger-piece I5 of the dog I4 is released to cause the teeth I5 thereof to interlock with the teeth 4 of the handle. The jaw It! may then be swung away from the handle I, and this step places the springs l9 under increased tension. The work is then placed between the jaws 2 and Ill and upon releasing edges or the cross piece If, and a pinching I handle is avoided.

the jaw III, the springs 19 will cause the jaws to rip the work firmly.

The bifurcations ll of the movable jaw l0 exercise a two-fold ofiice, in that they constitute closures for the outer sides of the recesses l8 and form, also, a part of the means whereby the jaw 10 is mounted pivotally. The. cross plate H, the bottom plate I and portions of the side plates 6 of the boxing 5 define a guideway wherea in the handle I is received closely, but for longitudinal sliding adjustment. In the interest of compactness, the inner end surfaces of the screws I 9 overlap the side surfaces of the handle I but the screws bear at their inner ends against the of the What is claimed is:

In a wrench, a handle provided'at one end with a jaw, a boxing comprising side plates" having recesses in their outer surfaces, top and bottom plates connecting the side plates, and an intermediate cross plate connecting the side plates,

forming pivotal mountings for the bifurcations of the movable'jaw, the inner end surfaces of the screws overlapping the side surfaces of the handle but engaging the edges of the cross plate, to prevent the screws from binding on the handle, spiral springs located in the recesses and 7 concealed by the bifurcations of the movable jaw,

means for connecting the outer ends of the I springs to the bifurcations, means for connecting the inner ends of the springs to the boxing, and means for holding the boxing in adjusted positions longitudinally of the handle.

OSCAR 'ADAM'S. 

